Brassiere



Aug. 18, 1959 E. E. FARON 9 5 BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 5am

Aug. 18, 1959 E. E. FARON 2,899,961

BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR.

{wag/z 672M307? BRASSIERE Evelyn E. Faron, Oak Lawn, Ill., assignor to A. Stein & Company, a corporation of Illinois Application September 6, 1957, Serial No. 682,436

9 Claims. (Cl. 128-465) This invention relates generally to brassieres, and in particular to brassieres of the banded type whether referred to in the trade as narrow or long line.

One of the principal objects of the invention isto provide a new and improved brassiere having an improved form of breast supporting and molding action which provides the utmost in breast support and comfort regardless of the asymmetry of the wearers breasts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved banded brassiere which has great adaptability and adjustability to contractively conform to the greatly varying beloW-the-breast body measurements of Women who wear the same size and cup brassiere, thereby avoiding riding up of the bottom of the garment, and insuring the maximum support.

A further object of the invention is the provision-of a new and improved banded brassiere of the short or narrow type which will not wrinkle or curl up at the bottom band around'the wearers diaphragm and which will not ride up the back to an uncomfortable and abnormal po sition, thereby allowing the cups of the brassiere to sag below a position of maximum support to the breasts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved banded brassiere of the long-line type which eliminates the necessity of including steel or bone stays inserted in strategic positions in the garment, or having hooks hanging at the bottom to be secured to the top of a girdle, to prevent the lower portion of the garment from riding up on the figure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a garment of the character indicated which will provide improved wearing comfort characteristics, protection against visual stains from perspiration, complete washability, and to provide a brassiere embodying the indicated improved characteristics and which may be fabricated economically and at low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is described and illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an inside elevational view of a banded brassiere of the short or narrow type formed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the banded brassiere shown in Fig. l in the wearing position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a banded brassiere of the short or narrow type formed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. is a perspective view illustrating the banded brassiere shown in Fig. 4 in the wearing position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a banded brassiere of the long line type formed in accordance with this inventiong States Patent 0 "ice Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the banded bras siere shown in Fig. 7 in the wearing position; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 1, but is also typical of the brassieres shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

The brassiere shown-in Fig. 1 is a banded garment of the short or narrow type comprising spaced breast cups 1 and 2 which are of substantially like construction except that the parts-are respectively of right and left hand 10- cut, a central joiningportion 3 provided with a lower centergore 4 and end portions 5 and 6 respectively. The end-portions 5 and *6 are equipped with suitable means for interconnecting the same. Such means is here shown as comprising hooks 7 on the free end of the end portion 5 and pairs of eyes indicated at 8 carried by an elastic tab extension 8a of the end portion 6 for adjustable connection of said end'portions. Shoulder straps 9 and 10 are provided substantially in accordance-with common practice.

The central portion 3 and the end portions Sand 6 are preferably of 'inextensible textile material and the inserted gore 4 in said central portion is preferably of material which is elastic for horizontal stretchability. The tab extension of the end portion 5 is also desirably of horizontally stretchable elastic material and said shoulder straps 9 and 10 preferably embody longitudinally stretchable elastic tape-extensions 11 and 12, respectively.

The breast cups 1 and 2 each embody a main or outer textile fabric element 13. These outer cups may be formed of a plurality of parts cut and joined together to provide the desired cup shapes and sizes. The details of the outer fabric element portion of the cup formation are not important elements of the present invention and in this instance a representative construction comprises an .upper half section 14 and lower quadrant sections 15 and 16 which are joined together as indicated at 17 in a vertical radial seam and to the lower edge of the upper half section 14' in a horizontal seam indicated at 18. The fabric employed in the'construction of the outer cups may be of ornamental lace or other suitable character and, if desired, one of the sections, such as the quadrant 16, may be of a different type of material to impart an attractive apperaance to the garment. The material employed in the quadrant'16, for example, may also be selected for its firmness or other quality which gives it a desired capacity or some other desired attribute.

Each cup is provided with a pair of inside breast supporting and molding elements 19 and 2% These elements 19 and 20 are preferably made of soft, flexible material but which has suflicient body to provide effective breast support and molding action. One suitable type of material is a laminated fabric consisting of outer and inner fabric plies bonded together over the entire area of the element by means of flexible, waterproof bonding material preferably applied in a manner to provide an impervious intermediate layer of such bondingmaterial. This bonding material may be of suitable latex or rubber composition, or of various Waterproof plastics which have flexibility characteristics similar to those of high-grade rubber.

The said inside supporting cup elements 19 and 21) are formed to overlie only marginal portions of the sides and bottom of the respective cups. The width of these elements may be varied somewhat and is not critical, in one example the width of the elements 19 and 2t averages approximately one and a half inches. These elements 19 and 20 have their outer side edges secured as by stitching indicated at 21 to the adjacent side edges of the central portion 3 and end portions 5 and 6, respectively.- The said outer side edges of the supporting elements 19 and 20 have an upper and a lower end portion indicated *at22 and 23, respectively, which are joined by stitching to the respectively adjacent upper and lower edge portions of the brassiere which are finished with suitable binding tape or trimming material as indicated in the drawing.

The lower end portions of said inner supporting elements 19 and 20 terminate in adjacent free inwardly extending end edges 24 and 25. The end edges 24 and 25 are located centrally of the lower portion of the breast cup, approximately in vertical alignment with the apex of the cup, but this location of the end edges may be shifted considerably to one side or the other without lessening the ability of the brassiere to give maximum support. The inner edges 26 and 27 of the supporting elements 19 and 20 are also free of attachment to the overlying outer cup element 13 which aids in eliminating puckering of the outer fabric 13 with respect to the inner supporting elements 19 and 20. The laminated inner supporting elements 19 and 20 of the breast cups are of fiat form as distinguished from the constructed conical or spherical form of the outer fabric element 13 which is designed to envelope the breast. The supporting elements, therefore, have a tendency to lie flat against the body of the wearer. When the garment is worn the side portions of the breast cups, including the portions adjacent the outer edges of the inner supporting elements 19 and 20, lie flat against the trunk of the wearer in the area about the side-of the breasts, and the lower portions of the breast cups including the lower end of the supporting elements 19 and 20 extend fiat against the trunk in the area below the breasts to form a portion of a relatively wide band 28 contractively held fiat around the trunk of the wearer in the area immediately below the wearers breasts by the combined action of the elastic tab extension 8a, and the horizontally extensible central gore 4.

The band 28 securely anchors the garment below the breasts thereby preventing the garment from riding up over the breasts during use. The band 28 also forms a lower foundation for the supporting and molding action of the supporting elements 19 and 20 of the brassiere. When supporting and holding the wearers breasts, the supporting elements 19 and 20 of relatively heavy-bodied material, are outwardly displaced from their fiat form at their lower end in the band 28 against the trunk immediately beneath the breasts and from their fiat form adjacent their outer edges in the area to the sides of the breasts. As can be easily seen, this type of support within each breastcup allows maximum support and comfort to a wearer having breasts of different sizes as the amount of displacement of the supporting elements is determined by accommodation to the individual support requirement of each of the wearers breasts.

As the inner supporting elements 19 and 20 converge downwardly toward one another, meeting in the band 28 below the breasts, they are predominantly side supporting and molding elements serving to more effectively support the breast in its natural position as distinguished from the so-called uplift effect of the great majority of conventional brassieres. The commonly known uncomfortable curling and creasing of previous banded garments which occurs at the bottom of the band'about the diaphragm has been eliminated in this construction by employing the supporting elements 19 and 20 extending beyond the bottom of the breasts into the band 28 and to the very bottom of the garment. This construction insures maximum support and comfort in the front or bust area, as well as along the sides of the breasts. Comfort is further obtained incident to the application of relatively firm support to only the side and lower portion of the breast, leaving a greater portion of the breast held only by the relatively softer outer cup portion 13.

By employing waterproof bonding material to form the laminated inner cup elements, said elements are enabled to withstand washing as eifectively as the conventional fabrics employed in the remainder of the brassiere.

Also, the moisture barrier provided by the layer of waterproof bonding material serves to prevent perspiration from reaching the outside of the brassiere structure in areas which are mainly subjected to discoloration or staining from that cause.

The banded brassiere described above results in very satisfactory breast support and comfort, and is otherwise a very fine and desirable garment. However, certain additional advantages may be obtained by the use of the banded brassiere illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, which has similar'breast supporting and molding action and, except for an elastic band 29 extending adjacent the bottom of the garment and the absence of a stretchable lower central gore, is of similar construction to the brassiere shown in Fig. 1. Numbers used in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which are the same as those previously used, identify similar or identical pieces.

The banded brassiere of the short or narrow type shown in Fig. 4, comprises generally spaced breast cups 1 and 2 of substantially like construction, including inner supporting elements 19 and 20, a central joining portion 3, end portions 5 and 6, and a longitudinally elastic band 29 adjacent the bottom of the garment. The end portions 5 and 6 are equipped with suitable means for interconnecting the same. Shoulder straps 9 and 19 are provided substantially in accordance with common practice.

The elastic band 29 extends along the inside of the garment adjacent the bottom edge and is stitched to the lower portion of the bust cups 1 and 2, across the lower portion of the outer fabric element 13, and across the lower portion of the supporting elements 19 and 2t and shirred to the central portion 3 and the end portions 5 and 6, by a suitable number of longitudinal stitchings, including at least one adjacent the 'top of the band and one adjacent the bottom. The width of the elastic band 29 is preferably slightly less than the height of the end edges 24 and 25 of the supporting elements 19 and 20 so as to permit accommodation by the supporting elements 19 and 20 of the breast cups to the individual support requirement of each of the wearers breasts.

The shirring of the central portion 3 and end portions 5 and 6 to the elastic band 29 permits expansion of the elastic band to conform to the contour immediately below the breasts of the wearers body and results in a firm, positive and continuous anchorage of the lower portion of the brassiere around the sides and back as well as in the front under the breasts of the wearer. This firm contractive hold around the sides and back of the wearer by the brassiere insures maximum breast support and body comfort by preventing riding up in the back to an abnormal and uncomfortable position, thereby allowing the breast cups to sag below a position of maximum support to the breasts. In addition, the shirred elastic bot-' tom achieves greater perfection in fitting because of its easy adjustability and adaptability to the greatly varying measurements of womens diaphragms, or around the body measurements directly under the breasts.

A banded brassiere of the long-line type having a similar breast supporting and molding action is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, and is generally of similar construction to the brassiere shown in Fig. 4, except for the greater depth of the garment which extends generally to the waist area of the wearer. Numbers used in Figs. 7 and 8 which are the same as those previously used, identify similar or identical pieces.

In the long-line brassiere illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8, the breast pockets are of substantially similar construction to those illustrated in Fig. 1 except that the inner and outer downwardly converging seams 30 and 31, joining the breast cups and supporting members 19 and 20 to the central portion 32 and side portions 33 and 34, respectively, meet in an apex indicated at 35 'at the lower end of the breast cups. The supporting members overlie only the marginal side portions of the breast cups and are secured by stitching at the upper end portion as indicated at '22 and adjacent their outerv side edges from the upper end portion to the apex 35 at the lower end of the breast cup, as indicated at 21. The free end edges 24 and 25, respectively, extend generally vertically from the inner edges 27, 26 to the apex 35 at the lower end of the breast cup.

Extending along the length of the bottom on the inside of the garment and spaced from the apex 35 at the lower end of the breast cups, is a horizontal elastic band 36 of suitable width which is suitably longitudinally shirred to the downward extending central portion 32 and side portions 33 and 34 of greater depth. The downward extending side portions 33 and 34 of greater depth are stitched to the downward extending central portion 33 of greater depth along downwardly and inwardly extending continuations of the outer seams 31.

When the brassiere is worn, a band is formed extending from immediately below the breasts of the wearer, as in the other described brassieres, to the wearers waist. As the shirring adjacent the bottom of the garment extends not only in the front but also on the sides and around most of the back, the band is contractively anchored around the waist of the wearer, thereby preventing riding up from the waist of the lower part of the garment, whether worn directly against the flesh, or when fitted on the top of a high-waist girdle. This type of construction not only eliminates the stays and bones generally used in garments of this long-line type, but also assures easy adjustability and adaptability to the greatly varying girth measurements of women who wear the same size and cup brassiere.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior pending application, Serial No. 606,030, filed August 24, 1956 and now abandoned.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the disclosed construction without departing from the scope of the invention which is to be determined from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a plurality of inside supporting elements overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup, said inside supporting elements having outer edge portions secured to the adjacent outer edge portions of said outer cup element and having inner edge portions free of attachment to said outer cup element, and said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer.

2. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions in such proximity to each other as to cooperatively provide in effect a continuous supporting element and having inner edge portions free of attachment to said outer cup element, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

3. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element,,and a pair ofinside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship fromadjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions in such proximity to each other as to cooperatively provide in effect a continuous supporting element and having inner edge portions free of attachment to said outer cup element, said supporting elements comprising soft, flexible, heavy bodied fabric to provide sufficient body in said supporting elements for breast molding and supporting purposes, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

4. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions in such proximity to each other as to cooperatively provide in effect a continuous supporting element and having inner edge portions free of attachment to said outer cup element, said supporting elements comprising inner and outer plies of fabric adhesively bonded to each other in face-to-face relation with a water-proof bonding agent to provide sufficient body in said supporting elements for breast molding and supporting purposes, and to provide moisture proofness in said elements to resist perspiration penetration thereof and staining of the outside of the brassiere in the area of said elements, and. said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

5. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of thecup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions terminating in adjacent free end edges, said supporting elements having free inner edges which freely permit accommodation of said supporting elements Within each of said breast cups to the individual support requirement of each breast of the wearer, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

6. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions terminating in adjacent free end edges which extend inwardly of the cup from the edge thereof and having inner free edges which extend upwardly from said free end edges to the upper ends of the respective supporting elements, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

7. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respec tively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions I of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer, said band having adjacent its lower edge extensible material for contractively adhering around the body of the wearer, said supporting elements having free inner edges cooperating to provide in effect a continuous supporting surface, said free inner edges freely permitting accommodation of said supporting elements within each of said breast cups to the individual support requirement of each breast of the wearer, said supporting elements comprising inner and outer plies of fabric adhesively bonded to each other in faceto-face relation with a water-proof bonding agent to provide sufficient body in said supporting elements for breast molding and supporting purposes, and to provide moisture proofness in said elements to resist perspiration penetration thereof and staining of the outside of the brassiere in the area of said elements, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element and secured across the lower end of said supporting elements to both said outer cup element and said extensible material of said band.

8. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a pair of inside supporting elements respectively overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge por tions of the cup to the lower edge thereof, said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form upper portions of a band extending around the body from immediately below the breasts to the waist of the wearer, said band having adjacent its lower edge extensible material for contractively adhering around the waist of the wearer, said supporting elements having their lower end portions terminating in adjacent free end edges which extend inwardly of the cup from the edge thereof in such proximity to each other as to cooperatively provide in effect a continuous supporting element and having inner edge portions free of attachment to said outer cup element which extend upwardly from said free end edges to the upper ends of the respective supporting elements, and said supporting elements comprising inner and outer plies of fabric adhesively bonded to each other in face-to-face relation with a water-proof bonding agent to provide sufficient body in said supporting elements for breast molding and supporting purposes, and to provide moisture proofness in said elements to resist perspiration penetration thereof and staining of the outside of the brassiere in the area of said elements, said free inner edges freely permitting accommodation of said supporting elements within each of said breast cups to the individual support requirement of each breast of the wearer, and said supporting elements being secured along outer edge portions thereof to the respectively adjacent edge portions of said outer cup element.

9. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, each of said breast cups including a cup shaped outer fabric element, and a plurality of inside supporting elements overlying marginal side and lower portions only of the cup and extending in downwardly converging relationship from adjacent spaced outer upper edge portions of the cup, said inside supporting elements having outer edge portions secured to the adjacent outer edge portions of said outer cup element, and said breast cups being of such size and shape that the lower portions of said cups are adapted to extend below the lower portions of the breasts of the wearer and form portions of a band extending around the body and immediately below the breasts of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,044,623 Moran June 16, 1936 2,045,871 Pilot June 30, 1936 2,258,277 Bullinger Oct. 7, 1941 2,317,664 Becker et al Apr. 27, 1943 2,460,715 Schobel Feb. 1, 1949 2,462,295 Wittenberg Feb. 22, 1949 2,632,167 Robbins Mar. 24, 1953 2,688,749 Cocks Sept. 14, 1954 2,695,409 Fridolph Nov. 30, 1954 

